1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed towards a weighted tennis or racquetball racket that has a liquid mass which is released via centrifugal forces from a chamber and allowed to flow freely within the head of the racket. It is designed for use by both the professional and nonprofessional and reduces the risk of what is commonly referred to in the tennis or racquetball world as "tennis elbow". The amount of weight released depends strictly on how strong or fast the racket is swung. Because of the concentrated weight in the head of the racket, the ball is bounced harder off of the net, providing a stronger and more direct return.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various prior art weighted rackets and the like, as well as the apparatus and method of their construction in general, are known and found to be exemplary of the U.S. prior art. They are:
______________________________________ Patent Inventor ______________________________________ Australia No. 15,733 Paul British No. 407,983 Bush W. Germany No. 2741741 Kuebler & Co. ______________________________________
U.S. Pat. No. 15,733 comprises a channel or passage provided longitudinally and centrally in the handle of the racket in which said passage houses a slidable weight. However, it does not provide for weights in the head of the racket nor does it provide a weight dispenser as does the present invention. U.S. Pat. No. 407,983, like the previous patent, comprises a groove or channel in the handle of the racket for the flow of a liquid mass. U.S. Pat. No. 2,741,741 discloses a tennis racket with a frame that is formed by one or two hollow sections. These sections are divided into a number of individual chambers which are partially or completely filled with granulated weights. Although in this prior patent the weights are in the head of the racket, it differs from the embodiment of the present invention in that it always has weights inside the chambers, it has limited ability to position the weights in the places needed most, it increases the overall weight of the racket, and it contains a number of separate chambers filled partially or completely with granulated weights which allow for a rattling effect while playing.
These patents or known prior uses teach and disclose various types of weighted rackets of sorts and of various manufactures. However, none of them, whether taken singly or in combination, discloses the specific details of the combination of this invention in such a way as to bear upon the claims of the present invention.